It’s Never the Wrong Time to Fight for Our Rights: A Q&A with Gender Justice

After a busy legislative session, we’re taking a moment to learn more about the work of policy partners like Gender Justice. From the State Capitol to the courts, you will find Gender Justice advocating for communities throughout Minnesota. Since 2012, they’ve been a trusted grantee-partner and more recently a policy partner on shared issues areas including the Minnesota ERA, reproductive health access, and gender equity. We spoke with Kara Cowell, Advocacy and Organizing Manager at Gender Justice, to learn more about their current priorities, long term goals, and words of wisdom for how you can make advocacy part of your life.

The Women’s Foundation is a member of the Minnesotans for Equal Rights Coalition led by Gender Justice, and awarded a Reproductive Freedom Fund grant to the organization in 2025. The grant supported Gender Justice’s work to lead systems change with the UnRestrict coalition, which advocates for Minnesotans’ right to make their own decisions about becoming a parent. WFM is also a member of the UnRestrict coalition.

Tell us about your organization and your general advocacy areas:

Since our inception in 2010, Gender Justice has worked to advance gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights through the law. That looks like precedent-setting litigation, including wins at the Minnesota Supreme Court eliminating major abortion access restrictions (Doe v. Minnesota, 2024) and affirming the right of trans athletes to compete without facing discrimination (Cooper v. USA Powerlifting, 2025). 

It also looks like bold policy advocacy, including helping to secure passage of the Women’s Economic Security Act in 2014, and public engagement work such as our Trans Equity Trainings, equipping everyday folks to have powerful conversations in support of trans equity — we’ve trained over 800 people so far! 

As our organization has grown, so has the scope of our work. Proudly founded in Minnesota, we now also work in neighboring North Dakota. And from the law, to advocacy, to narrative change, we continue to push forward on multiple fronts towards a world where every person can thrive no matter their gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. 

What are you currently working on? 

Right now, it’s Pride season and our Advocacy team is focused on community engagement across Minnesota and North Dakota. We attend Pride festivals and events throughout the summer because we know that meaningful policy change starts with meaningful conversations. Some of our most important work begins with listening to community members about the challenges they are facing and the changes they want to see.

Another major focus of our work this year is building support for the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) with the goal of getting it passed through the State Legislature and onto the ballot so Minnesota voters can make their voice heard for equality for all. We are working to grow the Minnesotans for Equal Rights Coalition and engage organizations from across the state in this effort. We believe the ERA is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen protections for all Minnesotans and ensure equality is enshrined in our state constitution.

Meanwhile, our Legal Team is busy preparing for two State Supreme Court cases, the first defending North Dakotan trans young people’s right to access gender-affirming care, and the second standing up for LGBTQ+ Minnesotans’ right to work without facing discrimination. We’re also closely monitoring the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J, two cases focused on trans students’ right to play sports with their peers. We’ll be offering a community chat and legal analysis when that decision comes. 

What is your hope for the long term and how do we get there?

Our long-term hope is that everyone’s rights and opportunities are protected regardless of who you are, who you love, how you identify, or where you live. At a time when we are seeing attacks on gender equity, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ rights across the country, we intend to defend our rights fiercely. And we aren’t just playing defense — we intend to keep expanding abortion access, protections for LGBTQ+ rights, and collective community engagement. 

We get to the future we want to see by building strong coalitions, ensuring everyone has a chance to plug in on the issues that affect their communities, and passing policies that create lasting protections. Real change happens when people come together and advocate for a future where everyone can thrive.

Now that the legislative session is over,  where can we find Gender Justice in the community this summer?

You can find us at Pride festivals and community events across Minnesota and North Dakota all summer long! These events are some of our favorite opportunities to connect directly with community members, answer questions about our work, and hear what issues matter most to people. If you are attending a Pride event, stop by our table and say hello! And if you are helping organize a Pride celebration or community gathering, we would love to hear from you and explore ways to participate. See a partial list of Pride events we are attending here!

We also recently shared a Save the Date for our annual Gender Justice Brunch on Sunday, November 15, 2026. We hope to see folks there later in the year!

How can people be involved with your work?

One of the easiest ways to get involved is by signing up for our newsletter to stay informed about advocacy opportunities, community events, and important policy developments. People can also become Community Outreach Volunteers and help support our work throughout the year.

Summer is an especially busy season for us, and we rely on volunteers to help us maintain our presence at Pride events across the region. Whether someone volunteers at an event, takes action on legislation, shares information with their community, or supports coalition efforts, there are many ways to contribute. Every conversation and every action helps build the movement for gender equity!

What else should we know about Gender Justice?

At Gender Justice, we have an unofficial saying: it’s never the wrong time to fight for people’s rights. That’s true on principle, but it’s also true because we know that progress is possible even during challenging moments. Many of the rights and protections Minnesotans enjoy today exist because people organized, advocated, and refused to give up when change seemed difficult. While national conversations and court decisions can sometimes feel discouraging, we remain optimistic because we see people across our communities stepping up every day to defend and expand equality.

As we look ahead, we encourage people to stay engaged, stay informed, and remember that advocacy is not limited to legislators, lawyers, or policy experts. Everyone has a role to play in shaping the future of their communities. The most meaningful victories often begin with ordinary people sharing their stories that drive us all towards change.